Page 31 of An Unfinished Memory

Hell of a birthday. Here was the call I thought I wanted. The irony would make me laugh if I wasn’t so damn frustrated.

One of the neighbors who bordered Knight land stopped to ask if I could help him move hay bales in case the smolder wasn’t crushed out. I couldn’t leave Darren Mapmaker in the lurch. He’d been good to us despite Barns’s prickly attitude. I initially told him I could. But then I’d gotten a text from Aggie that said everyone was leaving and locking my place back up. Regret was a dull burn in the back of my throat, just like the embers the rural fire department was continuing to slash. After I was cleared off the scene, I hauled bales with Darren for a couple of hours. By the time I was done and driving home, the sun had set. I opened the window to air out myself and the vehicle.

Once I was inside the house, I let the door shut behind me. One would never guess the place had been filled with seven people and a baby. The meal was cleaned up, and the chairs had been pushed back in around the table. The extra seats had been put away.

No one could tell my birthday had happened. How much time had I gotten with my family? An hour? Forty-five minutes?

All but Eliot had made a six-hour round trip.

Were they still in town?

I messaged Eliot to ask.

Eliot:Since it was early, they went back. Tova teaches her pole dancing class on Sundays.

The fucker reminded me on purpose. Sutton was one of Tova’s students, and I pictured her long legs wrapped around a silver pole far too often while I was showering and stroking off.

I did not need a boner right now. The anger I felt at myself burned too hot.

My stomach growled, saving me. It’d been hours since lunch, and I wanted some taste in my mouth that wasn’t reminiscent of smoke.

In the kitchen, the light on the dishwasher said a load was done. I hardly had to use the damn thing. The cake was on the counter with half of the pieces cut out. The only letters left were H-A-P and B-I-R-T and part of the H. All the donuts remained. They should’ve taken it all home with them.

They shouldn’t have bothered coming.

I could bring some cake to Ray. He was a sucker for office treats. I could eat a slice with him so I was actually celebrating with someone.

I rubbed the ache in my stomach. Hunger pains or guilt?

A message came through my phone.Happy Birthday. From Sutton.

I’d let my family down. Was this what it was like for Sutton? Only instead of coming home to an empty house, she’d had to stay here and wait. There’d been no other place for her to go.

Until there was. And she’d left.

I sent back aThanksand grabbed a donut. I stuffed it in my mouth and headed to the shower. This was the birthday I deserved.

Seven

Sutton

After my pole dancing lesson, I stopped at Aggie’s house to take care of a cyst on her Mangalitsa pig Skinny’s leg.

She helped me pack my gear and load my kit into the pickup. “You didn’t have to come today, but thank you.”

“No problem.” I had nothing else to do but worry about why I didn’t get more than a thanks after I sent Wilder a happy birthday text. “I was surprised you were home already.”

Indecision flickered in her expression. “We came back last night.”

“Oh. Everything all right?” Had I been wrong, and Wilder hated the idea of celebrating his birthday?

“I think so. Wilder got called out. We deliberated on whether we should wait for cake, but after an hour, we broke and ate. Waited another hour and then took off.” She worried her lower lip. “Maybe we should’ve stayedwith Eliot, but he said he was going to work all day Sunday anyway.”

“And Wilder could get called out again.” How disappointing. I should have righteous indignation coursing through me. Wilder’s family traveled so far to see him, and his work interfered. But my heart hung heavy. That had to suck to miss out on their visit.

“That’s what we thought. I could tell he felt bad enough as it was.”

“Yeah.” An old spark of anger flared and died. I had no reason to be upset anymore.

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